The  Honda Wetland Area of Glacier Ridge Metro Park continues to dazzle 
birders with  some very cooperative and highly prized species. Linda and I took 
advantage of  the cooler temperature and lower humidity today to visit the 
park. When we  arrived we were greeted with smiles as bright as the sunshine 
by the birders  already there. Initially the rails were acting shy, sulking 
along the edge of  the reeds so that you saw movement but never quite got a 
clear view. Then  several called from the reeds almost at our feet before 
both the adults and  juveniles paraded out onto the exposed mudflat and put 
on a four star show.  There were great views of Sora and Virginia Rails as 
they foraged on the  mudflats. Linda really enjoyed watching the adult 
Virginia Rail locate food and  then feed its downy chick. 
Although  the American Bittern was a no show, the Least Bittern gave us a 
show and came  out for a curtain call. Initially we had distant views of the 
Least Bittern as  it worked along the water’s edge and flew across the open 
water. Later it flew  in close to the boardwalk, landed in the open on a 
stalk and stayed there for a  long time. I located a second Least Bittern 
deeper in the grass. It stayed well  into the grass but periodically called. 
The  Pied-billed Grebe family showed no sign of being bothered by the 
people watching  them. They were busy feeding and the juveniles are getting close 
in size to the  adults. 
The  mudflats also yielded several shorebirds including Yellowlegs (sp), 
Spotted  Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper. They were at the furthest point 
from us and  quite skittish.  There were also a  singing Indigo Bunting, Willow 
Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler near the  wetlands. 
We  later drove through the Delaware Wildlife Area to check the status of a 
 Red-headed Woodpecker nest on Leonardsburg Road that I have been 
following. The  young have fledged and they were at the nest tree as one parent was 
staying  close as the other foraged, flying out like a flycatcher and 
returning to the  tree over and over. The young are now close in size to their 
parents and are  easily identified by their brownish heads. AS we were leaving I 
discovered a  second nesting pair about a half mile further down the road. 
This seems to be a  very good year for Red-headed Woodpeckers as I have 
located more nesting pairs  this year than ever I the past. 
Our  last stop was a quick check for activity at the boardwalk at Area M of 
the  Hoover Nature Preserve. There were one adult and one juvenile Osprey 
at Platform  H2. On the railing at the end of the boardwalk and on a snag 
nearby I counted 6  Common Terns. There were also Double-crested Cormorants and 
Eastern Kingbirds.  Finally, since we restricted our effort at the preserve 
to Area M, for the first  time since April 10th I didn’t hear or see any 
Prothonotary Warblers.  Unless I find a late brood in the back section of Area 
N they have headed south  to their winter range in Central and South 
America. 
Charlie  Bombaci

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